Did Michael Ronning Kill One Woman… Or Ten?

Things I Want To Know

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In this Episode we dive into the case of Michael Ronning, a convicted murderer who spent years bragging about killings no court ever proved. His life stretched from Michigan to Arkansas to Florida, and everywhere he went the same pattern followed: a missing girl, an unexplained death, and a story he couldn’t resist inserting himself into.

Was Ronning a forgotten serial killer, or a drifter who loved the attention that came with pretending to be one? Andrea and Paul sift through the timeline, the victims, the confessions, and the contradictions he left behind. Some of his claims line up a little too well. Others fall apart the second you touch them.

This episode pulls apart the myth of Michael Ronning and the messy truth underneath it.

“Some killers stay silent. Ronning couldn’t shut up long enough to hide anything.”

“Every place he bragged about had a real victim. That is not a coincidence.”

“He confessed to murders he couldn’t possibly have committed. The question is why he wanted the credit.”

“The courts only proved one killing, but the geography tells another story.”

“Was he a serial killer, or just a man who enjoyed the spotlight a little too much?”

“This is the problem with Ronning’s case. The truth and the lies sound exactly the same coming out of his mouth.”

A drifter who loved headlines. A murder tied to a $700 lockbox. A string of claims that crumble under basic scrutiny. We dive into the volatile life and crimes of Michael Ronning, exploring the one confirmed homicide and the many cold cases he tried to claim from Michigan to Arkansas to Florida. Our goal isn’t to glorify him—it’s to separate what really happened from what he wanted people to believe.
We walk through Dana Lynn Hanley’s case step by step: the short construction job, the glimpse of cash, the abduction, the eyewitness who remembered his face, and the conviction that followed. From there, we map the suspected cases Ronning attached himself to, including the Rebecca Sue Hill connection, and ask a hard question: are we seeing a serial predator with a ritual, or a chaotic opportunist who killed when it was easy and bragged when it was useful? Using our AI-assisted profiler “Cade Mercer,” we test the behavioral evidence and the lack of consistent signature—finding rage, proximity, and impulse instead of ritual, planning, and control.
We also zoom out to the limits of 1980s forensics—decomposition in swamps, missing biological material, inconsistent evidence handling—and look at how modern tools like CODIS, touch DNA, and forensic genealogy could still help. If Ronning’s DNA is in the system, could renewed testing answer lingering questions or clear false trails? Along the way, we challenge the habit of pinning unsolved cases on notorious names and talk about what responsible true crime work looks like: caref

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Fejezetek

1. Andrea Hosts her first full show! (00:00:00)

2. Why Michael Ronning Caught Our Attention (00:00:54)

3. Early Life, Image, And Car Culture Tangents (00:02:36)

4. Michigan Links And False Confessions (00:03:43)

5. Pattern Talk: Strangulations And 1980s Forensics (00:05:03)

6. The Rebecca Hill Connection And Florida Lead (00:06:26)

7. Confirmed Case: Dana Lynn Hanley (00:08:22)

8. Eyewitness, Motive, And The $700 Robbery (00:10:35)

9. Charges, Degrees Of Murder, And Sentencing (00:12:15)

10. Could Tech Today Solve The Cold Cases (00:14:46)

11. Profiling With “Cade Mercer” AI (00:16:21)

12. Opportunist vs Serial Predator Analysis (00:18:06)

13. Appeals, Venue, And Jury Issues (00:20:14)

14. Arkansas Roads, Geography, And Case Logistics (00:22:08)

15. Do We Have A True Arkansas Serial Killer (00:24:10)

16. Wrap-Up, Takeaways, And Listener Support (00:26:23)